Donna Bisesi: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: Rolling MeadowsWebsite: Candidate did not respond.Office sought: Rolling Meadows Park Board Age: Candidate did not respond.Family: I was born and raised in Rolling Meadows. My parents owned one of the first 25 houses built here. I am the youngest of 8 children. Some of you may know me by my maiden name, Schumacher. I have been married for 26 years to Jon Bisesi. We have 2 wonderful children.Occupation: Stay at home motherEducation: I have a Bachelors of Arts degree in Elementary Education from National Louis University. Previous to that, I received my Associates Degree from Harper College.Civic involvement: I was an active member of the Rolling Meadows Jaycees for many years, serving as Vice President, President, Membership VP and Newsletter Editor. I was also involved at the regional level. I am proud to have been honored with an IL JCI Senatorship. I currently volunteer with the Willow Bend PTA on the Newsletter, Raffle Basket and Spirit Wear Committees. I have spent the majority of my life doing volunteer work for such worthy causes as: The American Cancer Society, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Muscular Dystrophy Association, March of Dimes, Juvenile Diabetes, Special Olympics, and Relay for Life.Elected offices held: Park District CommissionerQuestions Answers What programs aren't paying for themselves? Would you keep, eliminate or change them? How and why?During the past 4 years as a Park District Commissioner I have learned that swimming pools rarely pay for themselves. The amount of money it takes to provide enough properly trained individuals to safely run the pools, supplies to adequately take care of the pools and keep their working parts in good repair as well as the cost associated with the amenities that we provide will never be a profitable endeavor for the park district. Despite the fact that owning and operating swimming pools is generally a revenue drain, I still believe that they are an essential part of the Rolling Meadows community and should be utilized for as long as possible. There are potential changes that could be made in an effort to increase the probability that our pool would bring in positive revenue, however forecasting these outcomes would be improbable due to the unpredictability of the summer weather. I would love to see our hours of operation increase to allow more time to swim during the day. I would also enjoy a longer swim season, starting earlier and ending later, however, we are limited by the availability of our part time staff. Any suggested improvements need to be weighed and balanced with the other uses of the pool that are known to produce reliable revenue, including swim lessons and pool rentals, while also keeping the pool safety standards in mind regarding the acceptable amount of time lifeguards are allowed to be in chairs guarding the pool.Is there any additional open space the park district needs to acquire? Please describe.Many parents I have spoken to would like the park district to look into acquiring one of the many vacant buildings in our town to open a year round indoor play center for children. If we could create a multi-use facility that would provide additional gym space, a walking track, an indoor playground for children, and an upgraded gymnastics facility that is able to accommodate our very popular and steadily growing program, I think the residents of Rolling Meadows would find this project an enticing and much needed improvement. Unfortunately, the amount of work needed to utilize an existing structure and or construct a brand new building would be cost prohibitive at this time. Although I would love to move forward on a big project such as this to create some updated usable space for our residents, the magnitude of such an endeavor would require some major funding, that I fear is beyond the scope of available grants, sponsorship and donations at this time. It would require some type of referendum that our residents may find intolerable due to the slow economic recovery. Financially speaking, things are moving in the right direction, however, I would not like to overburden tax payers at this time. As desirable as this facility may be, funding for the project may be more feasible down the road when such an undertaking could be done in a financially responsible way utilizing as much alternative funding as possible.Are there any unmet recreational needs? If yes, what are they and how would you propose paying for them? Or, should they wait until the economy improves?Although our recreation department does an outstanding job, there are a couple ideas that I think would benefit our residents and diversify the programming that we offer. I recently inquired about the possibility of offering a specialized gymnastics class that was geared toward this new trend in Par Core and America Ninja Worrier athleticism, Both focus on upper body strength and core strength to maneuver through obstacles and have become a popular form of physical activity especially among teens and young adults. Our current gymnastics programs are very popular right now and I was informed that there wasn't room to add additional classes of this nature without taking away classes that are already quite popular. I feel that this is an area we can explore if we are ever able to expand our gymnastics facility to allow additional classes. With childhood obesity on the rise, I would like to see our after school fitness program expand to include more days, longer classes, and additional emphasis put on healthy eating habits. Bringing fitness to children, especially those who might otherwise not have access to physical activities is important. There is a national campaign focused on helping kids learn about fitness and as a provider of recreation, I feel that we should be leading the charge in this area. I think we should continue to pursue grant money to help fund the program and rely on salaried staff to run the activities, which limits the expenses associated with offering free programming.Would you support sharing/pooling resources (i.e. printing, vehicles) with other local governments (school districts, village, etc.)? If so, what areas would you consider combining or merging to save money or improve efficiency?Yes, I would be interested in sharing resources with other local governments. Rolling Meadows is a small town community. We should pool our resources for the betterment of our residents as a whole. By working together to help each other, we bring back that home town feeling that has been losing its momentum in our community. Additionally, there are many financial advantages to combining resources including; volume discounts on materials and supplies, reciprocal agreements for shared use of unique resources, and enhancing efficiency thereby reducing labor costs.If you are a newcomer, what prompted you to run for the park board? If you're an incumbent, list your accomplishments or key initiatives in which you played a leadership role.I am very proud to share the impact I made on my community during my 1st term in office. Despite my successes, there is still work to be done, which is why I am running for re-election. Park improvements are always in the 5 year plan and are scheduled based on need and available funding. Waverly Park is a neighborhood park that services a lot of residents in a condensed area and, in my opinion, needed renovating as soon as possible. During capital plan meetings I would often suggest that this project be moved up on the list. The tennis court was so bad it was considered unusable, while the playground equipment was broken and looked terrible. I am thrilled to report that Waverly Park is now completely renovated using the latest designs. These unique features cannot be found together anywhere else in the nation. An additional feature that was added to Waverly Park is a circular walking path that was suggested by a resident. After several discussions, I was able to persuade those who were hesitant to include this necessary modification. The track is one of the most used features of the park. Another project I spearheaded is the after school fitness program, designed to address childhood obesity. I pushed for this program my entire term and am happy to say that due to a grant I suggested we apply for; this program launched a few months ago and quickly filled to capacity.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?I take my position as Commissioner very seriously and continually look for ways to improve. Some of the current candidates may disagree, but I believe one of the jobs of a Park Commissioner is to advocate for the needs of the residents while ensuring tax payer money is being used responsibly. My achievements during the short time I have served on the board demonstrate my commitment to our residents. I value the trust that has been placed in me and am proud to represent my constituents. I am also a park district enthusiast who is very proud of our accomplishments and optimistic about the direction we are headed. Being a part of this organization excites me in such a way that I am quick to suggest our facilities, programs, and events to everyone I meet. You might also find me raving about the quality of our staff, the renovations to our buildings, the innovative new park improvements, and the extremely competent leadership we are fortunate enough to have. The Rolling Meadows Park District provides a wealth of opportunities for personal growth and recreational fun in a safe and healthy environment, encouraging us all to live long and happy lives. I feel that my unique experiences, long term residency and dedication to continuous improvement are important characteristics that enhance my ability to be an effective commissioner. I have always approached this position with honesty and integrity and will continue my efforts during my next term in office.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Tony Hsieh the CEO of Zappos. He knows the value of quality customer service and employee satisfaction. He inspires others to be innovative and creative.What's the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?I learned that being a good leader requires a lot of hard work and integrity. Doing the right thing for the right reasons is key.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?The best do-over would be spending time with my mom telling her how proud I am of her. She passed away when I was 23.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?Language arts was a subject that influenced my passion for reading and inspired me to write several children's books, which I hope to publish soon.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Lead by example with integrity and compassion. Be the kind of leader that inspires others to achieve greatness.